Poppy campaign begins; you could march for a veteran (3 photos)

Elected officials gathered with a group of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 officers for the launch of the annual poppy campaign Friday.

A ‘Lest We Forget’ banner was hoisted at the flagpole near the cenotaph outside the Sault Ste. Marie courthouse.

Across the country, from the last Friday in October up to Remembrance Day, Royal Canadian Legion branches sell poppies to honour those who served and raise funds to support veterans and their families.

Approximately $73,000 was raised by Branch 25 in last year’s poppy campaign, said Ernie Bremner, Branch 25 vice-president.

Legion members and cadets will be at as many public places as possible selling poppies between now and Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day ceremonies this year will include March for a Veteran, Bremner told SooToday.

“It’s one way of really remembering a veteran that is deceased, or marching for a retiree who cannot march anymore because they might be in a seniors home, or march for a current service member who is with the regular forces on deployment…a friend or relative of that person can march for them to remember them and show them honour,” Bremner said.

Only one person is allowed to march per veteran, Bremner said.

This will mark the third consecutive year March for a Veteran will be included on the list of local Remembrance Day activities, though it was called off due to bad weather in 2014. 

Over 30 people participated in 2015’s March for a Veteran.

Anyone interested in taking part in March for a Veteran may contact Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 at (705) 945-8721 or visit its office at 96 Great Northern Road.

Individuals will be asked to fill out a form for Legion officials in order to identify themselves and who they are marching for.

Marchers, wearing special name tags provided by the Legion, will gather at Essar Centre at 9:45 a.m. November 11, led over to the cenotaph by Legion members and then march back to the arena for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony. 

March for a Veteran was established by the Sault’s own Branch 25, and now other Legion branches have begun to pick up on it. 

“It’s unique, everybody likes the idea,” Bremner said.

Sault MP Terry Sheehan, in a brief speech at the cenotaph Friday, paid tribute to the men and women from the Sault and area who have served in wars over the past century.

“They went off to four wars at separate times to save us, and they did,” Sheehan said.

Sheehan made special mention of Oliver Garfield Swier, of Echo Bay, who volunteered to fight in the First World War in 1914 as a 20-year-old and fought for four years and won three awards for gallantry in the field before being killed in action in September 1918, only weeks before the November 11, 1918 armistice was signed. 

The MP also made mention of Master Corporal Scott Vernelli, Sergeant John Wayne Faught and Captain Nichola Goddard, who died in Afghanistan.

Sheehan praised the work of Royal Canadian Branch 25 in assisting veterans.

“Quite frankly, I think it’s one of the best (legion branches) in Canada, when I talk to other MPs in parliament, the work the legion does here makes me so proud.”

Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano said “we have to support veterans and their families and the importance of the poppy campaign is that it does do that, so I encourage all Saultites to support the poppy campaign because in supporting it we are remembering those who fought and stood for us, and supporting their families.”